Fall Photography Lighting Tips

And all of sudden, it’s September, the beginning of climatological autumn here in the northern hemisphere.

It’s perhaps the most exciting time of all for outdoor photography - changing colors, unpredictable weather, and all-too-brief moments of perfect conditions to shoot the changing foliage.

You’re probably already thinking about where and when to go photographing in the next couple of months, let’s review some basic tips for how to be in the right place at the right time for ideal lighting conditions.

Tip #1 : Avoid Front-lit Foliage

Maybe the most important tip of all: avoid front-light on foliage.

Front lighting is a mood killer for leaves. Typically, they appear flat and opaque, without any of the beautiful glow that sets the best fall foliage photography apart. This photo was taken near Wolf Creek Pass last October. If you’re unfamiliar with Colorado, the trees are the typical mix of aspen and pine. The aspen leaves turn to a mix of golden yellows, orange and sometimes reds in a good year.

Taken later in the afternoon, the Sun is at the right of the shot, slightly behind the camera:

Even without being fully front-lit, this image is at best only ok - the leaves don’t really pop. A polariser may help, but its never going to look great.

What we really need is backlighting.

Tip #2: Backlighting is magical

Here’s another shot - it was taken at a location close to the photo above. A slight twist in the course of the road down the west side of the path placed the afternoon sun behind this small group of trees. The difference in effect is huge:

Again, the trees aren’t even fully backlit here: the Sun is still off to the right of the shot, but the angle is such that the light just squeaks in from behind the leaves instead of in front. Gone is the flat, opaque look, replaced by a glowing translucency and rich colors, with the added bonus of some deep shadows behind the bright yellow aspen.

When planning your times and locations, think about when particular stands of trees are likely to be backlit and aim for those. Often, it can simply be a matter of how you position the camera relative to the subject:

For a photographer located at the red pin on a mid-October afternoon at Wolf Creek, your orientation determines backlighting vs front-lighting. Of course, not all directions will have the best stands of trees!

In other locations, such as shooting Chimney Rock to the south along Owl Creek Pass, CO, the Sun sweeps past behind the trees through the arc of the day. This photo was taken mid-morning well after the best light of sunrise. The Sun, to the left of the shot, was at a perfect angle to backlight this attractive aspen grove:

This photo illustrates another tip: it’s sometimes necessary to tilt the camera upwards to frame up a shot. The result can be that the trees appear to converge vertically. In architectural photography, this would be an absolute “ no-no ”. But even in landscape work, converging tree-tops leaning into the center of your shot can look a little odd. A small adjustment using the vertical transform tool in Lightroom can straighten things up nicely, as shown above.

Tip #3: Clouds

Overcast conditions without direct sun generally help the photographer by bouncing light around the leaves, softening front glare and providing increased ambient lighting behind foliage. If you can get in amongst the trees, clouds help you capture rich, detailed images that draw the viewer’s eye. Here’s Last Dollar Road in southwest Colorado, in early October:

The glow is not so pronounced but it’s still there, more gentle and with less contrast providing huge scope for refinement in post.

And even if you can’t get up close to the trees, clouds in the sky will often bring additional visual interest to a scene. Here’s McClure Pass (yes - also in Colorado!) again, in early October:

Tip #4: Twilight

Does this photo show sunset or twilight? Well, both. The photographer is standing in a location at which sunset has already passed. But the summit of Mount Sneffels, at over 14,000 feet raised high above its surroundings, remains lit by the setting Sun due to its elevation above the horizon.

The aspen trees are photographed in twilight, with no direct light reaching them. Although the skies are largely clear, the ambient twilight has an effect similar to cloud cover, providing even, soft light that allows the leaves to glow.

Remember, breezy or gusty conditions will make shooting during twilight difficult - exposures are necessarily longer and so any gusts that shake the trees may result in soft looking foliage.

Even if you find yourself cursed by clear skies, the soft twilight glow can allow a pleasing photograph to be made. Here are the famous Maroon Bells on one such morning before sunrise:

In Summary

• Identify your locations in advance
• What directions can you shoot in?
• At what times of day will the trees be backlit? (hint: use TPE)
• Check the weather forecast - look for clouds, wind (and early snow can be magical!)
• Stay flexible
• Have fun!

Orange Aspen in the snow, Utah